Lord, Rebuke Me!
Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD, And whom You teach out of Your law;
(Psalm 94:12 NASB)
My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
(Proverbs 3:11-12 NASB; see also Hebrews 12:5-6)
Blessed by God
Who of us does not want to be blessed of the Lord, and to fully experience His love? Yet, who of us would be as excited about all of the means that God chooses to bring it to us?
There is so much that God provides for us by His mercy and grace, such as comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3), strength (Isaiah 41:10), encouragement (Philippians 2:1), peace (Isaiah 26:3),… the list can go on and on. He has lavished His grace upon us (Ephesians 1:7-8) and in Christ we have received 'His fullness...and grace upon grace…' (John 1:16). We are right to cling to and rejoice in these things!
Children of God
But the most precious gift He intends for us is Himself, namely, His character in our lives. And because we are naturally so unlike Christ, even while saved by Him, there is much He intends to do to transform our character. This requires His discipline in our lives; this is part and parcel of being a child of God. By discipline we mean 'loving, corrective action'. Notice what the author of Hebrews goes on to tell us:
It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
(Hebrews 12:7-8 NASB)
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.
(Hebrews 12:9-10 NASB)
Second, our very lives depend upon the discipline of God. For our good, He intends that we would be able to share His holiness, that is, to be like Him in character. Just think about that for a moment. Let it sink in. The God of the universe would make it possible for me to share His character? Unbelievable generosity! Father, praise You that You even make this possible through Christ!
All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
(Hebrews 12:11 NASB)
Third, discipline hurts. It's painful. But that pain is temporary, leaving us with permanent, peaceful righteousness in our lives.
Punished By God?
Let me be clear here. The Bible doesn't speak of this kind of discipline as punishment from God; if we got what we deserved, we would not survive, being ever under the eternal wrath of God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). That punishment was unleashed on Christ for the redemption of all who would believe (Isaiah 53:5, Romans 5:9, 1 Peter 3:18).
Nor is this discipline intended to determine our standing before God as His children. In Him, that is not in question. His discipline is a sign of His fatherhood, not of His rejection!
As a child growing up, I was disciplined by my father faithfully. Looking back, I noticed two important things. First, I did not get nearly what I deserved for my rebellion. Second, the discipline brought about a restoration to relationship with my father that was sweet. I believe both are reflections of God's faithful discipline in our lives.
Hearing from God
Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD, And whom You teach out of Your law;
(Psalm 94:12 NASB)
This is a daily, wonderful experience for me in His word. Much could be said here, but let me give you just a couple of examples.
When I look at a passage like Jeremiah 17:5-8, God tells me I am more like the self-reliant man than the one who has made the Lord his trust. I find myself pleading with God to show me the reality that without Him I can do nothing! (John 15:5). He is faithful to do that in myriad ways.
When I meditate on Galatians 5:19-26, really looking at the attributes of the flesh vs. those of the Spirit, God shows me how little like Christ I am, finding myself desperately pleading with Him and seeking His Spirit to take over my heart, knowing that those attributes are beyond my grasp to attain.
Then what I see is Him bringing circumstances and people to me as means to build these things into my life. It's painful, but sweet as I see Him making me both draw closer to Him and fundamentally transforming my character. I know that I didn't do that - it's His work!
More from God?
Well, it's one thing to experience the correction of an all loving, wise, and perfect God; honestly, that's difficult enough. It seems quite another to accept it from imperfect human beings. Yet, we see this is one of the humbling means God chooses to use in our lives. Next time, Lord willing, we'll examine the connection between the discipline of the Lord and the rebuke of other people.
In the meantime, it is my prayer for you that you fully experience His holiness, and the peaceful fruit of righteousness that He intends (Hebrews 12:10-11). Remember, 'For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.' (Psalm 30:5 NASB) Much gospel truth is contained here!
May you wondrously experience this cycle of sorrow and joy, for your good, and for His glory.
In His Grip,
Mark
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